Tackle Advanced Crochet Patterns in 3 Easy Steps

We’ve all seen them….. those gorgeous crochet patterns that you just have to make. Then you notice that it’s marked “advanced”.  At this point you have 2 choices. Keep looking for something else, or try to tackle it. I know from experience that if you love the pattern enough you won’t be able to get it out of your mind! But do you love it enough to give it a try? Now may be the time…

If you haven’t been crocheting for long your first choice may be to move on and keep searching. Please reconsider! Now, I’m not saying every level of crocheter should tackle an advanced pattern. But there comes a point in time where you need to stretch yourself beyond what you’ve tried in the past.

How to Tackle Advanced Crochet Patterns in 3 Easy Steps

How to Tackle Advanced Crochet Patterns in 3 Easy Steps

1) Read through the pattern – I can’t tell you how many times I haven’t done this. I used to just skip right over this step. Just do it! It’s amazing what may jump off the page at you. You may notice that the pattern only has stitches that you already know and they’re just combined uniquely. Or you may realize that even though it’s a new stitch, the pattern repeat is only a few stitches so once you get the pattern down it won’t be so bad. This may be the step that can convince you to give it a try.

2) Gauge swatch – If the pattern has a gauge swatch it, make it. Period. End of story. I won’t go into all the reasons why gauge swatch’s are important – that’s what the postIs Crochet Gauge Important? was written for. In terms of advanced patterns, it will help you decide if you can tackle the pattern on a larger scale.

3) Have Confidence – This is the most important step! (It’s also my Word for the Year) You need to believe that you can do it. If you don’t believe you can, then either you won’t try or you’ll be setting yourself up for failure.

You may not be able to make it today, or tomorrow, or even next week but if you keep trying you will eventually be able to do them.

How do you tackle that advanced pattern?

Happy Crocheting!



9 thoughts on “Tackle Advanced Crochet Patterns in 3 Easy Steps”

  • I stayed away from patterns that weren’t “easy” for so long. I stumbled across a beautiful pattern that was intermediate. I shed away for months before finally reading through the pattern. I realized that I knew all the stitches, but it wasn’t in a repeating ‘easy’ pattern. I could have done it months before. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that doesn’t always read before they decided

  • Good advice. If there’s a stitch I’m not familiar with I just Google it and I can always find a written or video tutorial to help me.

  • I read a piece of advice when I first began crocheting that has stuck with me all these years. “Just remember, the best thing about crochet is that you only have to think about one stitch at a time!” It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you look at an advanced pattern and the way all the stitches fit together or new techniques. But just focus on the one stitch you’re currently working on. Make sure you have that one stitch right. Then go on to the next stitch. Before you know it, you’re doing it! This has helped me more than anything else because I know that no matter how difficult the pattern, it’s still just one stitch at a time and I can do just one stitch, right?

  • I just started crocheting in September. I made my brother a simple cowel for winters in Oregon. Then I moved to a blanket for my chair. Not the prettiest thing, but I’m the only one using it. In the past month, I’ve finished a baby blanket, an afghan, a basket to hold all my yarn, and just made a huge panda bear for my grandson’s first birthday. I’ve learned all my stitches watching videos. I found that if I look on Youtube, I can find a tutorial for any new stitch. It just takes time and patience. And yes, following your three steps,without even realizing it. Thanks for the advice!

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